Girish Karnad

This Life at Play: Read an excerpt from Girish Karnad's memoir on how he transformed FTII's acting course

This Life at Play has been translated from Kannada in part by Karnad himself and in part by award-winning translator Srinath Perur.

Girish Karnad's memoir, translated from Kannada into English, to be published in May

This Life at Play: A Memoir by Girish Karnad translated by Srinath Perur, will be released on director's 83rd birth anniversary on 19 May

Ebrahim Alkazi, Indian theatre legend and art connoisseur, passes away at 94

Ebrahim Alkazi was the longest-serving director of the National School of Drama. He is credited with revolutionising Indian theatre by combining native folk traditions and international acting techniques.

A decade in theatre: Barring a few troupes, India's dramaturgy didn't quite mirror the tumult in nation's polity

Arguably, one feature of theatre eco-systems across India, with some exceptions like those fostered by the Budhan Theatre or the Yalgaar Sanskrutik Manch or the still buoyant Jana Natya Manch, is how cosily they seem to be ensconced in their liberal echo chambers, whirring along insulated from the political heave-ho outside their turf.

Girish Karnad’s last play Crossing to Talikota engrosses, but stops short of being politically audacious

A scrutiny of Girish Karnad's plays hardly shows him taking an adventurous path as a writer and he can broadly be taken to be ‘Nehruvian’ in his outlook, essentially showing faith in the post-independence ideology of the government, roughly describable as ‘anti-colonial nationalism'

On embracing national pride in its many manifestations, and the notion of 'India, that is Bharat'

One should leave cultural pride open for anyone to celebrate while making no urgent calls for political action based on it. Like a flower, culture will bloom in its own time or not at all.

Salim Arif on theatre in the Hindi heartland, sustaining movements, and the need for local support

Salim Arif on the brand of theatre that is emerging in North India, especially the Braj region, the growing reliance on a brand of forced minimalism and why large-scale productions are a positive development in the art form

Girish Karnad's filmography in Kannada cinema demonstrates his penchant for layered social commentary

Even a hundred years later, Girish Karnad's plays and films will teach many important lessons to viewers on the things that went wrong in the 20th century.

Girish Karnad and his democratic art: KM Chaitanya recounts experience of making a film on the playwright

Girish Karnad was filmed twice by director KM Chaitanya for his documentaries on the artiste in Kannada and English. Chaitanya remembers the actor-playwright as a genius with a nose for healthy debate and dissent.

Remembering Girish Karnad: Quasar Thakore-Padamsee, Abhishek Majumdar on how the playwright influenced their craft

Quasar Thakore-Padamsee and Abhishek Majumdar fondly remember Girish Karnad as a landmark figure in Indian theatre.